Narcissism?

April 16, 2015

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I’m afraid it must be addressed. Elephant in the room, you know…

**…the feeling that all this personal, first-person, “me, myself, and I”-ness of story slams is, well, at its root narcissistic.**

And that’s not generally considered a good thing.

It is a suspicion, sometimes an accusation, among some storytellers/folks who love the telling and sharing of traditional tales – yet find the whole genre of first-person narratives unappealing, even off-putting.

Remember, the Story Crossings blog theme for this A-Z month of April is “Story Slams & Traditional Storytelling – Bridging the Distance.” With that in mind, I think it may be helpful to not ignore but rather look at:

…the uncomplimentary notion that the burgeoning popularity of story slams is due to culturally-fostered narcissism.

You may know that the term “narcissism” is taken from Greek mythology (Love the irony here!).

I’ll take the easy route and cut-and-paste from Wikipedia for definition/description:

“Narcissism is the pursuit of gratification from vanity or egotistic admiration of one’s own attributes. The term originated from the Greek mythology [Hence, the irony], where the young Narcissus fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool of water…

“Some critics contend that pop-culture has become more narcissistic in recent decades. This claim is supported by scholarship indicating some celebrities hire “fake paparazzi”, the frequency with which “reality” programs populate the television schedules, and the growth of an online culture in which digital media and the “will-to-fame” are generating a “new era of public narcissism [that] is mutating with new media forms.” In this analysis, narcissism, rather than being the pathologized property of a discrete personality type, has been asserted as a constituent cultural feature of an entire generation since the end of World War II.”

Perhaps it is a valid claim/argument/suspicion/ thought – that cultural narcissism has given rise to story slam popularity.

At least that it’s an element:

a “content” characteristic (first-person, “happened to me” narrative),
in addition to other, “form” characteristics of slams we’ve considered here (see previous posts such as: Beer and Books, Competition).

What do you think? Does it seem reasonable to make such a claim? (Accusation?!)

Does it impact your opinion of story slams? – If it is “narcissistic” to some degree, does that matter? Or is it just “appropriate to the times?”

Or is this a bunch of bunk?

If you’ve been reading my earlier posts this month, I hope it’s evident that I’ve been finding a great many things to enjoy and appreciate about story slams (having been to a grand total of 4, to date). I’m fascinated by the popular appeal they demonstrate, and am “conducting ‘field research’” as I go to slams in order to learn more about them and from them, seeking indeed to “bridge the distance” between the sometimes-seemingly-opposed genres of storytelling.

I think this is actually a really wide-ranging and deep-diving area of consideration…much more to explore than can be done in this little A-Z blog post.

Thanks for reading – Pam

Image Credit: Based on the painting Echo and Narcissus by John William Waterhouse (1849–1917). This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1923.In other jurisdictions, re-use of this content may be restricted.

culture, narcissism, story slams, storytelling

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A-to-Z Daily Blogging Challenge 2015, Storytelling & Culture

Comments

18 responses to “Narcissism?”

Susan Scott

April 16, 2015

Thanks Pam a very thought provoking post! -as they all are 🙂 –

There is and can be too much navel gazing as evidenced in its crude form as in me me me at all costs as you write above. How this translates into slam story telling I cannot say. If the person tells the story in their individual and engaging way and if the audience has come away entertained and/or reflective or whatever, the story will have served its purpose?

I agree that it’s worthy of more research! Continue your field research – you are perfectly positioned to do this!

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1. Pam Faro
  
  April 16, 2015
  
  Thanks for the affirmation, Susan, that you found this thought-provoking – my goal and my hope! I surely don’t have “the answer” or even a well-thought-out and ready-to-trumpet opinion…though I do suspect that “cultural narcissism” is an element in slams’ popularity here. Mostly wanting to talk about that elephant! 😉 And I’ll happily continue researching(!) – this coming Sunday will be going to another story slam. (Though sadly I have to miss the Denver Moth next week Friday, as I’ll be in Wisconsin…) As always, your comments are appreciated. And often insightful (the story “serving its purpose”…) – thanks!
  
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Robin Reichert

April 16, 2015

Yes, there can be an element of narcissism at story slams or elsewhere…in my experience usually when a teller is a “newbie,” and it is most likely unintentional. More thoughtful or seasoned tellers of personal stories are well themed with a “lesson” that is always evident and most listeners can identify with – healing, new awareness, or just plain laughing at ourselves! Not to mention that personal stories build community by helping us know each other in vulnerability. It takes a lot of guts for some people to break free of inner prisons and share something of themselves, quite valuable and way beyond navel gazing! I also hear varying opinions of folk/fairytales. Some are clear and understandable while others are so steeped in ancient symbolism that no one in current time can get much out of them. A well chosen, pertinent story from either genre has tremendous value! And we NEED to hear each others tales of triumph and overcoming trials today just as our culture needed movie musicals and Shirley Temple during the depression and WWII!

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1. Pam Faro
  
  April 16, 2015
  
  Great comment full of insights, Robin! “Personal stories build community by helping us know each other in vulnerability” – I like that very much; may have to quote! And your comments about the traditional tales, and cultural need for uplifting/entertaining stories – very nice. Thanks so much! Take care.
  
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Megan Hicks

April 16, 2015

At the slams I’ve been attending and participating in for the past four years the ratio of “narcissists” to listeners is about 1:8. Ten to twelve people come with a story to share; everybody else comes to be entertained. And consistently, the room is filled and overflowing. Does that mean the vast majority of audience members are “voyeurs”?

For me personally, as a storyteller, slams are field research. Asking myself, “What is it about that story I just loved that makes it work?” “Why did that story fall flat?” “Was that even a story?” “How would I parse the action sequence in that one?” And when I’m lucky, I just think “Wow! That little story packed a big wallop.”

To my way of thinking, the slam format is just another genre — okay, sub-genre — of the personal story.

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1. Pam Faro
  
  April 16, 2015
  
  Great comments, Megan! I so appreciate the way you express your “research questions” (I suddenly have visions of us convening a seminar, sharing our scholarly notes from our field research forays… 😉 ) I’ve encountered plenty of traditional-story-loving storytellers who do rather brush off slams as “narcissistic,” and you’ve nicely articulated a riposte to them here. I may have to quote you, too (!). Thanks for commenting.
  
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Randy Faro

April 16, 2015

Observation over the years: in general people seem to talk about themselves or their experiences more so than ideas or concepts. (Then, of course, there’s the gossip factor.) Perhaps part of the phenomenon is that one’s personal experience(s) is something on which one can speak knowledgeably/authoritatively as opposed to, say, national economics, theology, Middle East politics, etc. As well, the attitude and/or style of personal telling makes a big difference. The same story can be told in either a humble or boastful manner, as a boring descant or with cheerful brevity. It would seem to me that in slams, the style, demeanor, comportment – in short, the manner of presentation – would seriously influence a perceived narcissism or the lack thereof.

Now, would anybody like to hear about my first encounter of close kind with a huge grizzly bear? 🙂

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1. Pam Faro
  
  April 16, 2015
  
  Good thoughts, Randy – thanks for posting here! And again, it’s the concept of “cultural narcissism” – that the prevailing culture itself predisposes people toward the me-stories more than the traditional-generational stories – that’s especially intriguing to me, as I attempt to think about and understand the hot popularity of story slams as contrasted with the obscurity of most other storytelling programming. (I wonder if there will be as many as 20 people at my telling of “Uncle Olaus Survives the Titanic” this Saturday? I can guarantee there won’t be a sold-out 300, like at every Denver Moth…)
  
  And… you KNOW I’d like to hear your grizzly story again!
  
  Thanks, Randy (or should I say “mahalo?”!)
  
  Reply
  1. Randy Faro
    
    April 16, 2015
    
    I’d say “you’re welcome” in Hawaiian if I knew how.
    
    By the wwy, in your elephant-in-the-room graphic the room is gigantic.
    
    Reply
    1. Pam Faro
      
      April 16, 2015
      
      The graphic is more an elephant-as-Narcissus conflation…but you’re right. 🙂
      
      And mahalo is the only Hawaiian I know, so I jumped at the lovely opportunity you provided…(and you have time to learn “you’re welcome” yet, if you want to , right?) xxoo
      
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      1. Sean Buvala
        
        April 19, 2015
        
        V is for Voyeurism. Yes indeed. I am convinced that storytelling slams are essentially the modern-day equivalent to yapping with your neighbor over the backyard fence. Now, in a self-selected community, we get to do the same some more, with people voluntarily submitting themselves to the gossip-mill. 🙂 “Oh,man, I went to this slam and this guy couldn’t stop talking about his weird cousin who…”
Sean Buvala

April 16, 2015

I’ve been talking about this in our new “Sea-Glass” workshop, which really came about as I was trying to figure out what all this meant. My thoughts: Personal storytelling fails when the teller is the hero (narcissism). It has a better chance of succeeding when the teller is the student of the experience being described (audience-focused). In that, the teller joins the audience in finding the the “me, too” moments of the story.

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1. Pam Faro
  
  April 16, 2015
  
  This is a really good insight! Thanks for posting it, Sean.
  
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Jeri Burns

April 17, 2015

Lovely comments all! Here’s another observation – the narcissism of society that was discussed in post/comments and its possible relationship to the personal story at slams – isn’t just confined to story slams. The ratio of traditional storytelling and personal storytelling within traditonal storytelling appears to be a very different ratio now then say, 15 years ago. The personal story has been on the ascendant for quite some time there, so if story slams also grab onto them, they are paralleling the traditional storytelling world (though other forms and genres still occur in traditional storytelling FOR SURE). I am not adding this into the discussion to be divisive, but rather to suggest that a focus/preference for personal tales may be bigger than the slams. Humbly and sweetly and jovially submitted btw 🙂 Thanks for braving these waters Pam and everyone.

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1. Pam Faro
  
  April 17, 2015
  
  Great comments, Jeri! And I’m sure you’re right. And heads up: Keep an eye out for my “U” post April 24 – this will be somewhat revisited, and connected to what you’re saying here. (Meanwhile I’ll keep the cloak of mystery around the specific U-topic…!) Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments. Cheers.
  
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Mark Goldman

April 19, 2015

Pam, great question and thoughts on this topic of narcissism in slams. I like Jeri Burns’ comments about the same often happening in traditional storytelling (not just slams). I think Sean’s comments are spot on! Making yourself the hero of the story fails. (Donald Davis has also said this.) I also love Megan Hicks’ comments about using questions as “field research” for storytelling. Her questions should be used by all tellers in crafting their OWN stories.

Several have said the audience comes to be entertained, and if the teller does this, then the task has been fulfilled. One can be entertained in many ways; magic, stand-up comedy; song and dance. But “storytelling” (which can be very entertaining) is supposed to be what is being promoted and presented here. Pam has used the term “cultural narcissism” which I believe has propagated this type of “me-me” storytelling. And it is the audience’s acceptance of this narcissism, and our society’s current penchant for a certain type of “cultural voyeurism” that has created the confusion…and therefore the problem. Yes, I believe it is a problem.

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1. Pam Faro
  
  April 19, 2015
  
  Thanks for sharing your thoughtful comments here, Mark. I’m starting to wonder if “voyeurism” might become part of my “V” post…hmmm…
  
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Robin Reichert

July 27, 2015

Hi Pam! I thought of a question to add to this thread of comments, a little something for all to ponder, since I caught myself doing the same the other day. Why is it that we as a culture are so uncomfortable or downright opposed to someone telling a story where they are proud of their accomplishment and want to share it? In many indigenous cultures the whole village came together (some still do) to watch and give support as an individual acted out a vision received on a vision quest or a dream. The idea was to give witness as a person was growing and help them continue on a good path. This also clued in the elders on how to advise a person. Feathers worn always signified bravery, courage, & good deeds with special designs cut into them to designate which type of deed. They wore their “story feathers” proudly for all to see and the bravest often were applauded to get up and tell their stories in the evening fire circle. Whether it’s bravery in battle or the courage to go for a job you wanted and secured, maybe these stories are really important and need to be given a chance. Whaddaya say folks?

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